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How world rugby rankings are out of tune with reality

Warm-up games for tournament should not be considered to determine order, former England RWC winner Will Greenwood says

10 September 2019 - 20:27 Liam Del Carme

Picture: 123RF/Wavebreak Media Ltd

The musical chairs that have become the world rugby rankings over about the past month are a little out of tune with reality.

Three teams have ascended to the top of the pile in as many weeks, which for some may represent the vibrancy and dynamism of the system. But for others the rankings‚ especially the top places‚ are a fool’s paradise in the months and weeks leading up to the Rugby World Cup (RWC), which kicks off next Friday.

New Zealand‚ Wales‚ New Zealand again and Ireland have held the top spot over the past five weeks, and former England RWC winner Will Greenwood says there is an easy way of restoring order.

“They’ve got to throw out world rankings for RWC warm-up games. After the Rugby Championships finishes you leave it until the RWC. World rankings during this period offer nothing to people‚” the former centre said.

The proponents of a rankings moratorium will argue that the world rankings are hardly in the deliberations of head coaches as they plot and scheme in the months leading up to the RWC. The coaches tend to chop and change their squads as they test combinations and learn more about the depth of their squad.

“In RWC warm-up games everyone is trialling and experimenting and those matches don’t feel like Test matches‚” he continued.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Wales because it was an amazing achievement to get to No 1. It does‚ however‚ seem extraordinary that on the day New Zealand beat Australia 36-0 and Wales beat England‚ by whatever it was in Cardiff‚ the All Blacks can lose the No 1 spot beating one of the great sides by that margin.

“Then Ireland could have gone on top had they beaten England‚” Greenwood said.

Ireland‚ of course‚ have since gone to the top — ironically on the same weekend New Zealand beat Tonga 92-7.

Ireland got to the top after their 19-10 win over Wales‚ who had held the top spot for two weeks before New Zealand surged past them.

The volatility in the rankings is also glaringly illustrated by the fact that the defeat to Ireland caused Wales to tumble four places to fifth in the rankings. They take the spot occupied by the Boks last week.